Author's note: I recently began college at Swarthmore College and many of my future reviews will be based on the campus or in the area. This review is adapted from my piece in the September 6 edition of the College's newspaper, the Phoenix. With this humble
column begins the saga of “I On the Arts: The College Years”. Enjoy!

(An interview with List Gallery Director Andrea Packard about this show can be found here.)

A view of the gallery. Photograph by the author.

When I informed several of my fellow first-years that I had
been commissioned to review the art exhibit at the List Gallery of Swarthmore
College, located eleven miles from Philadelphia, many of their first reactions amounted to “the what now?” and “where?” Undaunted, I began excitedly relaying to them
my first Phoenix writing assignment.

Tucked away in the Lang Performing Arts Center on the beautiful, lush campus of Swarthmore College, the List
Gallery is a little gem of a space that has been serving the Swarthmore College
community for around two decades. The
small spaces puts on several shows per year of both well-known and more obscure
artists as well as exhibiting senior art exhibitions.

Some background on the current show: Bernard Chaet, born in
1924, is a native of the Boston area. He
received degrees from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine
Arts, to name but a few, and has held teaching positions at institutions such
as Yale University.

The seashores of New England have captivated many artists,
and Chaet is no exception. Many of the
works on display in the List Gallery were painted en plein air, or on-site, at various locations in Massachusetts and
Maine. Others were reworked many times
in the artist’s studio until he found the perfect combination of color,
atmosphere and form.

And what forms they are!
The List Gallery starts the year off right with this collection of vibrant
oil paintings and watercolors. List Gallery Director Andrea Packard ‘85 has meticulously
and thoughtfully curated the exhibit, which opens September 6. It is a survey of sorts, a collection of
Bernard Chaet’s seascapes from 30 years ago to, more recently, 2008-2009.

Taking visual cues from the Impressionist,
Post-Impressionist and Expressionist movements, the works in the gallery
display luminous color and tangible texture. The oil works in the gallery’s
first room are somewhat literal recreations of the sea and of the shore, while
the watercolors occupying the second room are looser and more abstract.

The most striking aspect of Chaet’s works is his glorious
use of color. Recalling painters such as
Cezanne and Matisse, the paintings glow with sometimes surprising colors. The
palettes of the works range from hazy pastels to murky ochres to arrestingly
bright hues. The exhibit is organized and hung so that the works complement
both the gallery space and one another in a lovely array of visual harmony.

The highlights of the exhibit are several of the oils in the
first room as well as one work in the second room. Chaet paints vigorously, with gusto and with
a sure hand. The love for his chosen
subject matter is present in the joy with which he applies oil to canvas and
watercolor to paper. The paintings titled “Soft Morning” (#1), “May” (#2) and
“Bass Rocks 1” (#15) are standouts, as well as the watercolors “Morning
Message” (#6) and “Rain” (7).

“Bass Rocks 1”. Photograph by the author.

I urge my fellow students as well as any local art lovers to take the trip from Philly to Swarthmore and take a walk over to LPAC to see this exhibit!

This has been “I On the Arts: The College Years”, signing off. Until next time!

Comments

So happy to welcome the reviewer back from a summer hiatus! What a wonderful review of what appears to be a beautiful show! You have made these paintings come alive! Hoping to catch this exhibit at the end of next month.

I liked the show too; it was sized and hung appropriately for the wonderful List Gallery. Amidst the tumultous large oils in the front room, don't overlook the small gem "Ocean Light" (#18 on your scorecard) which confers a sense of conclusion as you leave the gallery.